


Walking Away

by JRosemary



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-21
Updated: 2011-08-21
Packaged: 2017-10-22 22:16:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/243173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JRosemary/pseuds/JRosemary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe the best thing Mozzie can do for Neal is to walk away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking Away

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Season Three.

Mozzie glanced up from his spot at the table as Neal’s door swung open. Neal walked inside, minus his usual cat-like stride and effortless grace. But that didn’t matter. Just seeing him was enough to bring a wide smile to Moz’s face.

“So you’ve flown the Burke nest,” Moz said as he toasted his friend with an empty wine glass.

Neal paused and shook his head. “No. I’m just here to pick up a few things. Peter’s waiting downstairs.”

Moz digested that as he waited for Neal to sit down. But Neal remained standing. Worse, he seemed to be staring over Mozzie’s head, as if he couldn’t bring himself to look Moz in the eye.

“Neal? What’s going on? Has—has the Suit decided to arrest us after all?”

“No,” Neal answered, finally looking at him. “You know he keeps his word, Moz.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Neal didn’t answer. He stared at him instead—and his eyes had the kind of look you give someone when you’re about to break up with them. But that didn’t make any sense, because although Moz could appreciate those baby blues in the abstract, Neal had never been his type.

“You need to leave, Moz.”

Moz blinked. “Why? Oh no—you’re not back with Sara, are you? But she can’t be coming over. You just said you weren’t moving back here yet.”

“I’m not. I—” he cut himself off. “I’m not back with Sara and I’m not moving back here. Not now. But by the time I do—Moz, I need you to be gone.”

“I don’t understand . . .”

“Moz, we—don’t you realize what we almost did? We’re damned lucky that Keller didn’t hurt El. And I could have wrecked Peter’s career. I could have landed back in prison for the rest of my life.”

Mozzie swallowed and waited for Neal to assess the blame—waited for him to point out that it was Mozzie who concocted the scheme and Mozzie who pressured Neal into going along with it.

But when Neal finally spoke up again, there was no blame in his voice. “I was ready to betray the only person in the world I really trust. And for what? What the hell was I thinking?”

“For the score of a lifetime,” Moz replied, staring down at his hands and trying to ignore the fact that, after everything they’d been through together, the Suit was the one with Neal’s trust.

“Yeah,” Neal agreed.

Unless Mozzie was mistaken, there was a hint of a smile—and a hint of the old Neal—in his voice. He gave a wry smile in return. “A score that's now in the hands of the G-Men.”

Neal shrugged. “That was part of the deal. Anyway, I need you to—to stay away for a while. If you need anything, you can call Peter. He’ll do what he can for you.”

Moz let his mouth fall open as he looked back up. “I can call Peter? Neal, what the hell are you doing? Since when don’t we have each other’s back?”

“I can’t be around you right now,” Neal explained, his blue eyes frighteningly steady.

“Why?”

He sighed. “It's as if I’m a recovering addict. I can’t afford to be near someone who’s still using.”

Mozzie stared at him. And then he slowly rose to his feet. “You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

“Is the Suit forcing you?”

“No. This was my decision.”

He wouldn’t let his hands shake. He wouldn’t show Neal how much his words stung. “Very well, mon frère. Au revoir.”

“Moz, you don’t have to go this second . . .”

But Mozzie just snorted. If he was going to leave at all, he would have to do it now. So he walked to the door—but Neal stood in his path.

"Moz . . ."

"What? You made your feelings perfectly clear."

"I know. I just—look, I'm not saying forever. It's just—"

"I get it, Neal." He waited until his friend finally stepped aside, and then he walked out.

And he forced himself not to look back.

~The End~


End file.
